It's very upsetting because I felt this particular family already had a boatload of stuff to bear. ... which led me to thinking about how I take good health for granted.
Life can change in an instant for anyone of us. Health crises can come upon us in a blink of an eye. Have I been appreciating - no, reveling - in the fact that my body works?
Oh, sure, it doesn't work quite as well as when I was twenty-something, but it still functions. Every day that I'm alive and well is a gift and I should appreciate it.
In fact, upon reflection, I realize I'm guilty of taking a lot for granted. My spouse is still here sharing life with me. My children are all well. My grandchildren are, well, perfect in my eyes, and light up whatever space they are in at the time.
I have a job I can go to every morning and be surrounded with friends and co-workers that mean so much to me.
I'm free to worship how I choose and live where I want.
Yet, at any moment, any of that could be taken away.
What then? Will I mourn for all the times I could have appreciated my blessings but instead focused on all the things wrong in my life? Will I feel that if I could just go back, I'd spend each moment in thankfulness?
I'm determining now to practice thankfulness each day for the incredible gifts I've been given. I don't want to be guilty of wasting the time I have left with dissatisfaction with the very few things I wish were different.
What about you? I bet there are more good things you can find about your life than bad things. Celebrate the good today!
This post was written in response to Writer's Workshop prompt # 1. Write a blog post inspired by the word: guilty. Because I am guilty of not appreciating life enough.
If you'd like to link up, visit Kat Bouska's blog, Mama's Losin' It.
It is so easy to take things for granted, mostly because I think we like to bask in the status quo because it's good. And when it's not, we are too busy worrying otherwise. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteSince loosing my mom, I have really tried to make the most of my life on earth. We never know the day He is going to call us home. Like you, I don't want to regret the things I didn't do.
ReplyDeleteHi Jerralea - I so agree we really do need to count our blessings with all we are blessed with. Things do seem to strike others rather too frequently sometimes ... caring, giving and helping others help us all - Hilary
ReplyDeleteWe are so forgetful and we need to be reminded how good God is to us and how he has brought us through in the past. Thanks for the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteYou are spot on with this post Jerralea! This is something I deal with as well and I want to do better about being present in my "present" and grateful for the good gifts God has blessed me with. Thank you for this reminder to "Celebrate the good today!"
ReplyDeleteI am needing to hear this today! I haven't been as appreciative as I should be and I have been somewhat on the crabby side! God is good to send what I need when I need it through my wonderful blogger friend Jerralea!
ReplyDeleteTruth...
ReplyDeleteSo true to be thankful in everything; I constantly need that reminder! I am so thankful hubby and me have been blessed with the good health that we have. I type medical reports when people younger than us are already in nursing homes (and we are 57/61, he's the older one :)
ReplyDeletebetty
I feel like there is an underlying tone of gratefulness in our lives, even if we don't come out and recognize it daily. I can get serious anxiety when I think about how quickly our lives can be disrupted. We really do have so much to be thankful for.
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